Evidently, 2016 was the year of populism. A good example is the Brexit referendum in which a narrow majority voted to leave the European Union. Although referendums may have many reasonable advantages in some cases, Brexit proves that some issues should not be decided by referendum. 
   It is apparent that right-wing populism played a major role in influencing people's opinion. Populist leaders such as Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson put forward that Britain would regain its full sovereignty by leaving the EU. It is also worth emphasizing that Farage might have convinced people to vote for leaving by claiming that Brexit would reduce the number of immigrants (Ingelhart and Norris 18). Polls suggest that many Britons generally tend to believe that Britain should restrict immigration (Bennett). Brexit was therefore undoubtedly the outcome of populist, nationalist, and biased arguments—rather than reasonable arguments. 
   Furthermore, it is quite clear that the Brexit referendum enabled uninformed people to vote on crucial issues. According to many economists, Britain benefited significantly from the European Single Market, as it provides free trade. Despite this, it seems that many people ignored these reasonable arguments and were perhaps unaware of the dire consequences. In the aftermath of the Brexit vote, the Bank of England predicted that inflation will most likely rise to approximately 3% (Chu). 

Sources: 

Bennett, Asa. "Did Britain really vote Brexit to cut immigration?" The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 29 June 2016. Web. 28 Dec. 2016. 

Chu, Ben. "UK inflation announcement: Bank of England forecasts record rise over Hard Brexit fears." The Independent. Independent Digital News and Media, 3 Nov. 2016. Web. 28 Dec. 2016. 

Inglehart, Ronald F., and Pippa Norris. Trump, Brexit, and the Rise of Populism: Economic Have-Nots and Cultural Backlash. Trump, Brexit, and the Rise of Populism: Economic Have-Nots and Cultural Backlash. Harvard Kennedy School, Aug. 2016. Web. 28 Dec. 2016.